Vignettes From A Marriage
by bloodredcherries
Summary: Scenes from Debra and Ray's marriage from various points in time. Fanfic100 Challenge


**Title:** Blue Times Two

**Author:** mkrobinson/bloodredcherries

**Prompt:** Blue

**Fandom:** Everybody Loves Raymond; Debra Barone/Ray Barone

**A/N:** Pre-canon; elements from the flashback in Season 1's finale "Why Are We Here?"  
>Summary: Ally is barely two when Debra finds herself pregnant again.<p>

**Rating:** PG-13/T

**The First Trimester**

The pregnancy test was on the counter in the bathroom, safe from her toddler daughter getting at it, and she didn't really want to think of the ramifications of the two thin blue lines that had appeared on it after she'd taken it two hours ago. Two hours. It was strange, really, that two hours ago she thought that her and Ray's lives wouldn't be changed completely and that Ally would remain an only child for a bit longer, unlike now when she'd realized that the nausea, the throbbing breasts, and the weight gain, and of course the complete and utter lack of her monthly friend meant that there would be a baby in their apartment soon. A new little baby.

And of course, Debra had called her best friend for moral support, forgetting that Amy was the tiniest bit baby crazy and a bit fundamentalist to boot and who thought that it was wonderful that Debra was married and was having children and having sex, and was currently getting rather annoyed by the fact that she didn't seem over the moon about having another child.

Alexandra was two.

"Amy, what am I gonna do? It's not like we planned this!"  
>"I'm sure Ray will be happy, Deb. He loves Ally. You know that."<br>"I know. I'm just scared."  
>"God meant for you to have this baby, Deb."<p>

Debra gritted her teeth as Amy blathered incessantly about "God's plans" and how babies were "little cherubic angelic blessings", glad they were on the telephone and not in person. She'd wanted sympathy! A reassurance that her nausea would go away, that Ally would be happy about the baby, that Ray wouldn't be upset! She wanted her best friend from college and the PR firm, not the MacDougal "Jesus loves you" lecture.

Amy's father blew up things.

Her mother had a poorly hidden smoking habit.

And her brother Peter was calling himself Russell for some bizarre reason and living in her parents' basement and running a comic book shop.

Forgive her if she didn't want to hear it then.

"Amy-"  
>"Yes, Deb?"<br>"I have to go-Ray's on his way home."

It was a lie.

"Okay, Deb! Talk to you later!"  
>"...Yeah..."<p>

She needed a nap to get rid of the headache the conversation had given her.

"Mommy?"  
>"Yes, Ally?"<br>"I'm tired!"  
>"So am I. You want to take a nap here with me?"<br>"Yeah."

Ally climbed on the love seat and curled up next to her. She pulled the blanket around them, hoping that the nap would make her head hurt less and settle her stomach. She soon drifted off to sleep.

"Deb? Deb? Little Debbie Snackcakes?"  
>"Ray...?"<br>"Hey, you're up! You feeling any better? I brought you some ginger ale and crackers."  
>"Thanks, Ray..."<p>

She sleepily, eyes still shut, reached out for his hand, which she placed on her abdomen. Blue eyes (hers) met chocolate (his) and met an utter lack of comprehension. She giggled.

"You okay?"  
>"Ray, I'm pregnant. I hope you're not-"<p>

He kissed her, softly at first, but it deepened, and his hand still remained on her abdomen.

"You're pregnant? You sure?"  
>"Yeah. I took a test. You wanna see it?"<br>"Can I?"

He sounded so innocent, so cute, and she nodded, smiling slightly.

"Of course."

She led him into the bathroom, picking up the test and showing it to him, noticing that the thin blue lines were more visible than they'd been before.

"You're pregnant!"

He kissed her again.

"You're not upset?"  
>"It's great! Hey, Ally. Come here."<p>

He scooped her up, bringing her over to where she was standing.

"Daddy!"  
>"Mommy's gonna have a baby! Isn't that great?"<br>"Baby?"  
>"Yeah, your little sister or brother. You wanna say hi?"<br>"Can I, Mommy?"

She nodded. Ray helped Ally put her hand on her abdomen, much to her relief.

"Hi baby! Hi!"  
>"In a few months it'll be able to kick back. Won't that be cool?"<p>

She nodded.

"Bye baby!"

**The Second Trimester**

Kevin and Andy had been the ones to tell Ray that Debra had arrived at the office in tears, and he'd been slightly disappointed to see they weren't exaggerating. He held his wife close, her belly getting in the way slightly, and he sighed, asking the question he dreaded.

"Deb? What's wrong?"  
>"Nothing's wrong, Ray. I'm just upset because Amy's brother made a comment about my breasts. In front of everyone. It was humiliating. He ca-called me Debbie and he told me tha-that I had breasts like Storm, whoever she is, and he tried to hug me and he's just so gross, Ray!"<br>"Oh, Deb, don't cry. Don't cry."  
>"I can't help it, Ray. I am pregnant. I am hormonal. And I am having your twins, in case you'd forgotten. I need to cry."<br>"No, no, no, I didn't forget. Come on, why don't I take you out to lunch?"  
>"Okay. That would be nice. Ally's at your mother's-"<br>"Shush. Let's not talk about such depressing things. How are you feeling?"

Ray wanted to punch Peter or Russell or whatever his name was out, he really did, but he focused on his wife. First and foremost, she was what was important. She really was.

"I'm fine, Ray. Why do you worry so much?"  
>"'Cause you're my wife. And these are our baby boys. And I don't want anything to happen to either of you."<br>"Oh, that's so sweet. We're fine, Ray. We are. Come on, I want you to see what I got for them at the store."  
>"You shouldn't be car-"<br>"It's okay, Ray, it's in the car. Come on. You can even carry me if that'll make you feel better."

She gave him a flirtatious smile as he scooped her up. She was a bit heavier than she'd been when she was nearly five months pregnant with Ally, but he wouldn't say that to her. Not with her pregnancy hormones all out of whack. He pressed the button for the elevator.

"I don't understand why you listen to him, anyways, Deb. Doesn't he give you the creeps?"  
>"He does, Ray, but Amy doesn't get that. You try telling her you don't like someone you're in for a lecture on how we should love each and every person and I just can't deal with that!"<br>"I know, babe. Forget I mentioned it."  
>"I just wish he didn't hit on me when I am obviously pregnant!"<br>"Hey, you're hot!"  
>"You're my husband, Ray. I like you. You can say things like that."<br>"I can, can't I?"

He grinned down at her, pecking her lips as they exited the elevator.

"Oh, Ray...you could put me down-"  
>"I don't want to."<p>

He got her settled in the car and started to drive away, watching her rub her abdomen out of the corner of his eye. She really was beautiful. Especially since she was carrying their twins. He loved her so much.

"Oh! Ray, they're awake."  
>"Both of 'em?"<br>"Yeah! Michael and Geoffrey. I think they're playing together."  
>"You do?"<p>

He reached over and touched her belly, feeling the competing kicks with his free hand as he drove.

Things were just perfect.

"What did you get for them, baby mama cakes?"  
>"Oh, Ray. I got them the softest blue blankets. See?"<p>

She reached into the shopping bag at her feet and pulled them out.

"I got them matching ones so they wouldn't be jealous."

**The Third Trimester**

"Come out already! You were due three days ago!"

All Debra got were two sets of kicks from both twins in response, and she sighed heavily. She didn't want to be pregnant anymore. She wanted them out! She'd thought that twins were supposed to come early, not late.

"Mommy say hi to the twins?"  
>"Go ahead, Ally."<br>"Hi Michael! Hi Geoffrey! I can't wait to meet you. When will that be?"  
>"Soon."<br>"Cool!"  
>"You like what daddy and I did to their room?"<br>"Uh-huh! Everything is all blue, Mommy. Is that cause they're boys?"  
>"Exactly."<br>"I like the teddies the best."  
>"Me too, honey."<br>"When will they come?"

Debra Barone sighed. Again. For the fiftieth time that day.

"I don't know, honey. Why don't we take a nap?"  
>"Okay, Mommy! Your bed!"<br>"Sure..."  
>"Yay!"<p>

Joanne and Robert were fighting across the street at her in-laws', and she needed to get some sleep.

She managed to climb into bed, feeling an uncomfortable niggle as she settled under the blankets, cuddled up with her Ally, but she brushed it off.

"Now don't wake me up, please?"  
>"I won't!"<p>

She shut her eyes and another wave of pain washed over her, but her exhaustion overpowered it, and she went to sleep.

She tossed and turned (well, as best as someone nine months pregnant with twins could) wondering why she couldn't get comfortable.

"Ally?" 

A toddler snore was the only reply. She sat up, trying to figure out why she felt so-she felt another pain,one that she recognized as a contraction. Shit. 

Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Fucking shit. 

Of course she would go into labor without Ray at home! 

Maybe it was false labor! That would have been nice, but somehow she doubted it, especially since she was three days overdue and they certainly felt like labor pains. 

She drew a deep breath, rubbing her abdomen.

"Come on, guys, stop it. It's not funny to-oh, my God. Oh no. No you didn't just-No. No."

The sheet underneath her was getting damp, as was her underwear.

She winced.

"Oh, God. Ray? Ray!"

She knew he was likely at Robert's making a token attempt-she looked for the cordless phone, which, of course, she had left downstairs. Earlier that day. She crawled out of bed and slowly walked downstairs, becoming entirely all to certain about her heavy labor and waters leaking as she went. She leaned against the banister, needing some relief from the pain, and she saw the most wonderful sight in the living room. Ray was on the couch, sleeping.

"Ray! Wake up, Ray!" 

He did, much to her relief.

"What's up, mama and the baby bears?"  
>"Ray, I am in labor. Please help me get downstairs."<p>

He was by her side in an instant, carefully helping her down the remaining stairs and into the kitchen, where she managed to sit on a chair.

"When did-Deb, your water just broke!"  
>"Ray, it broke upsta-OWW-irs! Can we head to the hospital?"<br>"What about Ally?"

Another wonderful sight-Frank Barone-appeared in the kitchen.

"What's wrong with your woman?"  
>"I'm in labor, Frank! Can you watch Ally? I think there's a game on..."<p>

Much to her surprise, her father-in-law gave her a hug.

"You'll be fine, Deb."  
>"Thanks, Frank."<p>

**The Aftermath**

And, she was fine. They were fine. Michael and Geoffrey had taken their sweet time appearing-thirty six hours after her contractions had started-but they were so worth it.

"Ally, you wanna see your brothers?"  
>"Yeah! Twins, Mommy!"<br>"Yes, honey, twins. Daddy's got Michael. And I've got Geoffrey."

Ally climbed on the hospital bed and sat between her and Ray, holding her arms out expectantly. She smiled, despite her exhaustion. She settled Geoffrey in her daughter's arms and he made a noise, causing her to giggle.

"I like him, Mommy. And I like Michael 'cause he's asleep!"

She gave her daughter a kiss on the cheek.

"That's sweet of you, dear."  
>"You can have him back now!" <p>

She smiled. Everything was perfect.


End file.
